Latvian 96's

[kellmuff96]

Hey guys, I help organize a Midget 'AAA' hockey tournament here in Canada and we just had the Latvia Bauer Selects team (all 1996 birth years)

anyways, as someone that has a pretty good knowledge of Minor Midget here in Ontario I know that a lot of these kids would be easy OHl draft picks this year.

I'm just wondering if the 96 age group in Latvia is considered a good one? Their best player was a kid with the last name Zembergs. What an unbelievable talent he is. I wonder if he'll be on your World Jr team one day

[ozo]

Originally Posted by kellmuff96

Hey guys, I help organize a Midget 'AAA' hockey tournament here in Canada and we just had the Latvia Bauer Selects team (all 1996 birth years)

anyways, as someone that has a pretty good knowledge of Minor Midget here in Ontario I know that a lot of these kids would be easy OHl draft picks this year.

I'm just wondering if the 96 age group in Latvia is considered a good one? Their best player was a kid with the last name Zembergs. What an unbelievable talent he is. I wonder if he'll be on your World Jr team one day

It's too early to tell, but in general every age group from 94 onwards looks quite superior to pre-94 age groups. Junior hockey in Latvia doesn't get nowhere near so much attention as in Canada, local competition is chaotic and it's pretty impossible to follow it, few players are playing abroad already so as you see there's no clear measuring stick for these kids until they haven't played Internationally yet.

First time I hear about such team as Bauer Selects, could you tell me a bit how this roster was assembled, was it advertised as a Latvian national team? From quick glance it really looks like a "selects" roster.

Lastly if Davis Zembergs is such an unbelievable talant he will of course one day play in WJC.

[kellmuff96]

Hey

I believe they are a 'select' team. A lot of the kids play for SK Riga.

Zembergs, and Artus Buss are prob their 2 best players. Both would be OHL draft picks here. I dont doubt that they'll be at IIHF events in the next few years

[ozo]

Originally Posted by kellmuff96

Hey

I believe they are a 'select' team. A lot of the kids play for SK Riga.

Zembergs, and Artus Buss are prob their 2 best players. Both would be OHL draft picks here.

Could well be that Davis Zembergs and Arturs Buss are our next great forward prospects.

Though aren't there huge loads of players drafted in OHL draft, why are putting it like it's such a feat being worth of a draft pick?

[kellmuff96]

I meant like high end picks. I bet all would go in top 3 rounds of this years draft. They are eligible for 2013 CHL Import Draft so it will be interesting to see what happens

[Latgale_fan]

Yeah, from 1994 to at least 97 we have, I'd say, superior junior players than we had ever before at least during our independence. It's hard to say though if 96 are more talented as 1994 oe even 95 or 97, as SK Riga 95 and 97 have done better in the championships they play than 96... Though I must say there are more top guys not from SK Riga born 1996 like Egle who was the topscorer in his EmJHL team this year, Locāns or Vasiļonoks.

As i see from the roster, it was pretty much a Latvian selects team, except for the three best guys imho Vasiļonoks, Locāns and Egle. Though Haralds Egle was listed on the roster of the team, I looked through your tournament's page and game results and didn't see him anywhere, scoring, giving an assist or getting a penalty so I believe he didn't play there? Did he?

Otherwise if we don't count those three then the guys you mentioned had to be the best on this roster.

http://sports.delfi.lv/news/hockey/n....d?id=42199858
here's a bit more information about that team in Latvian

http://bauerselectslatvia.eu/index.p...url=teams&id=5
here's again a bit more information

[kellmuff96]

Egle didnt play

[BalticWarrior]

Zembergs also really stood out at bauer tournament that happend this month in latvia,he does have great set of skills and speed,he was practically all over the ice.

[n80]

Top 3 players

1. Abols
2. Zembergs
3. Buss

[BalticWarrior]

Originally Posted by n80

Top 3 players

1. Abols
2. Zembergs
3. Buss

1.Haralds Egle
2.Abols/Zembergs
3.Buss
4.Vasilonoks

[kellmuff96]

Hello again...

The Latvian team is coming back and I am pretty excited to see how this team is this year. However, Zembergs and Arturs Buss are in the USA now and wont be playing.

Abols is the best offensive player now and Edgars Buss is the captain. I believe it's the SK Riga 96 team.

Will post here again after the tournament

[BalticWarrior]

Originally Posted by kellmuff96

Hello again...

The Latvian team is coming back and I am pretty excited to see how this team is this year. However, Zembergs and Arturs Buss are in the USA now and wont be playing.

Abols is the best offensive player now and Edgars Buss is the captain. I believe it's the SK Riga 96 team.

Will post here again after the tournament

Cool,updates are appreciated.

[Latgale_fan]

Originally Posted by kellmuff96

Hello again...

The Latvian team is coming back and I am pretty excited to see how this team is this year. However, Zembergs and Arturs Buss are in the USA now and wont be playing.

Abols is the best offensive player now and Edgars Buss is the captain. I believe it's the SK Riga 96 team.

Will post here again after the tournament

I wonder when that tournament will take place, as now the U17 (these guys) are preparing to EYOF (European Youth Olympics) where they will face Russia and Switzerland national U17 teams and then whomever they have to play next. I suppose the tournament will take place sometime towards the end of March like last year, I guess?

[Latgale_fan]

Originally Posted by kellmuff96

Hello again...

The Latvian team is coming back and I am pretty excited to see how this team is this year. However, Zembergs and Arturs Buss are in the USA now and wont be playing.

Abols is the best offensive player now and Edgars Buss is the captain. I believe it's the SK Riga 96 team.

Will post here again after the tournament

Maybe SK Riga 96, maybe a sort of Latvian selects from various team though the core probably would be SK Riga 96

[kellmuff96]

Yes our tournament is March 22-24th.

[kellmuff96]

Hello again

Just received confirmation of the roster that is coming to our tournament. Egle and Zembergs both on the roster. A lot of the same players from that Youth Olypics team in the other topic